Newsom Signs Bills To End Single-Family Zoning
Governor Newsom has signed to bills that will remove from local governments the ability to control local zoning, effectively ending single-family zoning. Among other things, they allow property owners to build duplexes on single family lots, and divide parcels. Senate Bill 9 allows for the construction of up to four housing units on land that was formerly designated for a single unit, without the approval of local authorities. Senate Bill 10 allows for the construction of developments with up to 14 housing units in neighborhoods zoned for single-family homes, with access to public transportation.
Authored by Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, and state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, respectively, the two bills were boosted by California YIMBY and other pro-housing groups. They were also opposed by cities like Lafayette, where city leaders have consistently characterized them as an attack on local control. Lafayette Mayor Susan Candell has joined a group of non-partisian elected officials and community activists, led by Redondo Beach Mayor Bill Brand, to preserve local control of land use and zoning in the state. The group has submitted a proposed initiative to the State Attorney General which would amend the California Constitution to insure this. Once the initiative has been reviewed, the group will have 180 days to collect 1.3 million ballots across the state to have it placed on the November 2022 ballot.
Candell says her greatest concern is the housing legislation will do nothing to solve the real affordability and homeless crisis in the state. “These laws are increasing inequity and only benefit developers and real estate speculators,” she notes. For instance, with the passage of SB 9 any single family lot in Lafayette can be split and converted to up to six units without any public hearing or review. She believes Senate Bill 10 is even worse. “Instead of a single lot with six units as in SB 9, SB 10 allows conversion of any lot into 14 unites with no local review. And none are required to be affordable.”